The present invention relates to pipeline monitoring and management systems, and particularly to systems for automatically controlling a pipeline heating system to maintain a desired temperature and/or to provide flow assurance of process fluid along the pipeline.
Managing the temperature of a process fluid (e.g., oil, natural gas, molten materials) during transportation through a pipeline can be of key concern, particularly when the process fluid is a material that exhibits changing viscosity characteristics relative to temperature. For example, the most critical issue in the performance and operational life of a Sulphur pipeline is the safe and reliable re-melt of solidified Sulphur to re-establish flow. Most attention has historically been placed on assuring that the required pipeline maintenance temperature is achieved during normal operations. The management of liquid Sulphur pipelines has been left largely to the shift operator who uses his judgment and experience to make appropriate decisions. This is a highly manual and operator-dependent approach, with limited or no real-time data used to drive decisions. It becomes, many times, a “best guess” manual approach to managing the pipeline. Manually driven re-melt programs can fail due to human error, and the chances of failing to utilize safe, reliable and repeatable re-melting methods of solidified process fluid in the pipeline could result in a plant shutdown due to a pipeline rupture or damage from excessive movement of solidified process fluid and/or pipe anchor failures.
It may therefore be desirable to provide improved pipeline re-melt systems and processes.